Northeast: My Absurd Woman

Chapter 135 The Last Dignity

Guan Yuxiu grabbed Zhang Changyao and pulled him forcefully toward the shore.

"Okay! If I go in and can't get out, things will get even more chaotic."

Zhang Changyao pulled his lower body out of the water and put on his clothes and pants.

As if he had received an imperial edict, Wang Fugui took off running back, swinging his arms.

Zhang Changyao picked up Zhang Shuhua and placed her on his lap. The sand along the riverbank was cold, and he was afraid his aunt's body couldn't handle it.

Guan Yuxiu leaned against Zhang Changyao's back, supporting his body.

"Yuxiu, Wang Fugui has been asking me to talk to you about the two of you."

I didn't say anything because I wanted to see if he could keep his temper in check.

Now it seems that he really cares about you.

A good man shouldn't be missed; agree to a relationship too soon, lest you lose interest.

Tears streamed down Zhang Changyao's face uncontrollably.

He knew in his heart that the chances of Liu Guimei being alive were slim.

Although his sister-in-law wasn't as good to him as his aunt and second brother, she still treated him like family.

"Third Uncle, I'll listen to you. I'll tell him when we get back."

Yu Xiu gazed at the river thoughtfully, her heart aching as if gripped by something.

"Changyao, we're taking your sister-in-law and the child back."

She's been afraid of water since she was little, and she always has to hold onto my arm when we cross a river.

She said I was her biological mother, and that I was the one who hadn't been a good mother, causing her to suffer so much injustice.

If I hadn't gone to your older sister's house, she wouldn't have been so distraught.

"It's all my fault for never doing anything productive, wandering around aimlessly!"

Zhang Shuhua woke up and struggled to get out of bed.

"Auntie, don't move, or I'll scare you. Wait until you've calmed down before you go down."

Zhang Changyao held on tightly, refusing to let Zhang Shuhua go down.

"Mother, how are you?" Guan Lin drove the donkey cart, cracking the whip loudly.

Before the car had even come to a complete stop, the person had already jumped off and run to Zhang Shuhua.

"Second brother, find your sister-in-law and the child and bring them home."

Your sister-in-law is afraid of the dark and doesn't dare to stay outside alone.

The child needs to be wrapped in a blanket; he's too small, and a gust of wind will dry out his skin.

Zhang Shuhua helped Zhang Changyao stand up, supporting her on the shoulder.

She staggered toward the riverbank, looked at the headscarf, and burst into tears.

The headscarf seemed to sense something, swirling around in the water a few times before sinking to the bottom.

"Yutian, bring me the rope." Guan Lin pointed to the rope on the donkey cart.

"Father, you can't go down there. What will we do if something happens to you?"

Guan Yutian tied the rope around his waist, placed one end on the ground, and walked towards the waterhole.

"Second Brother, do you have any more ropes? I'll go down with Yutian." Zhang Changyao looked at Guan Lin.

"Changyao, you can't go down. Yushan, you and your older brother go down."

Guan Lin waved his hand and called over his second son, Guan Yushan.

Guan Yushan is a few years younger than Guan Yutian and hasn't fully grown up yet.

Looking blankly at Guan Lin, he reluctantly walked over.

"Second brother, let me do it. You guys just hold on from the shore."

The child is too young to know the dangers; please be careful to avoid any accidents.

Zhang Changyao untied the rope from Guan Yushan and tied it around his own waist.

"Yutian, come back. Uncle San and I are going down to get them out."

Wang Fugui, who had just arrived at the location, pulled Guan Yutian back by grabbing the rope.

Untie the rope around Guan Yutian's waist and tie it around your own.

The remaining people split into two groups, picked up the rope, and held it tightly in their hands.

Wang Fugui was young and energetic, and he plunged into the water.

Zhang Changyao followed closely behind, held his breath, and slowly lowered his body.

The water, which appeared black on the surface, became much clearer, and the deeper you went, the cooler it became.

Wang Fugui recklessly kicked his legs and darted around in the puddle.

Zhang Changyao grabbed his rope and pointed to the deepest part of the pool.

In his memory, Liu Guimei's headscarf was buried in the deepest part of his mind.

Wang Fugui plunged into the deepest part of the lake, while Zhang Changyao slowly followed behind, observing the situation.

Wang Fugui turned around, waved at Zhang Changyao, and pointed to the bottom of the water.

Zhang Changyao saw Liu Guimei, who was hunched over, and the child in her arms.

Liu Guimei held the child tightly in both arms, and the two did not separate.

The strip of cloth used as a belt on the pants was tied to the child's body at one end and around her waist at the other.

Because the pants didn't have a waistband, the lower half of the body was exposed after being washed by the water.

Ignoring Wang Fugui who was still watching him, Zhang Changyao rushed to Liu Guimei's body.

The blanket covering the child was violently ripped open by Zhang Changyao.

The child had a piece of blanket in his mouth, his fair face tilted upwards, looking in Liu Guimei's direction.

Liu Guimei's expression was very loving; her head was tilted downwards, and her face was almost touching the child's forehead.

Zhang Changyao didn't have time to think too much; he pulled up Liu Guimei's pants as quickly as possible.

He grabbed Liu Guimei's clothes and pants together with both hands and lifted them upwards.

At that moment, he had only one thought in his mind: to ensure that Liu Guimei retained her final dignity.

Wang Fugui grabbed Liu Guimei from behind, supporting her shoulders, and pulled her upwards.

"It's up, it's up..." Guan Yutian pulled the rope back forcefully.

Guan Lin and Guan Yushan ran forward and reached out to help Liu Guimei and her son, who had just appeared.

Guan Yutian, Yuxiu, and Zhang Shuhua held onto the other rope, not daring to loosen their grip.

The mother and child were lifted onto the donkey cart. Guan Lin was the first to take off his clothes and cover Liu Guimei and the child's faces.

The remaining people followed his example, taking off their shirts and covering the mother and daughter with them.

The donkey cart moved very slowly, and the people following behind were all crying.

Guan Shumu stood there blankly, neither crying nor taking off his clothes; no one knew what he was thinking.

Guan Lin watched as everyone else followed along, but Guan Shu remained motionless.

He went up and kicked him, then pointed at him and told him to follow the car back.

Guan Shu swayed as he walked through the crowd, his face still expressionless.

Zhang Shuhua fainted again, and Wang Fugui and Guan Yutian took turns carrying her on their backs.

Zhang Changyao kept glancing at Zhang Shuhua's mouth, afraid she might bite her tongue.

As darkness fell, Liu Guimei and her son were parked on a door panel in Guan Shu's yard.

Guan Lin went upstairs, intending to separate Liu Guimei from the child.

However, because Liu Guimei's hand had already sunk into the child's body, she had to give up.

"Second brother, let them be buried together?"

"If you forcibly separate them, your sister-in-law won't be able to leave peacefully." Zhang Changyao went up to stop him.

The courtyard was deathly silent, with only the occasional tearing sound of the carpenter assembling coffin materials.

No one dared to come and see; everyone knew how much resentment the violently killed person harbored.

"Grandma, why won't you let my mom and little brother come inside to sleep?"

My mom said that you shouldn't sleep outside in the fall, or you'll catch a cold and get a runny nose.

My little brother cries every night, but he was really well-behaved today.

"Grandma, I'll go call them inside. My mom hasn't eaten dinner yet."